Introduction

Introduction

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1941-1945, the vast majority of newspapers were ceased, diminishing news sources by all means. The Hong Kong News (繁體版本:香港日報), however, was one of the tabloids that still published amid the war period. The uninterrupted issue is believed to be related to its Japanese-funded background. After all, it is a valuable document that recorded social events in the context of Hong Kong.

Past studies focused on the military tactics adopted by the Japanese Government, as well as the location of battlegrounds, with reference to national archives and historical sources. Yet, research on city development within the occupation is limited, hence this analysis can fill the gap of knowledge.

Here, the research will delve into reported social issues and living conditions during the war. The events will be categorized into 1) City Planning, 2) Incident, 3) Transportation, 4) Leisure, 5) Lifestyle and 6) Others respectively. What is more, the research will integrate the altered Japanese place and street names, followed by visualizing spatial information on social livelihood.

Highlights: From the 516 Issues of The Hong Kong News, 6 Categories of Events, 797 Stories, 207 Places, 52 Districts and Streets are discovered

Acknowledgement

Dr. Kwong Chi Man, Department of History, HKBU

Hong Kong Historic Maps (https://www.hkmaps.hk/)

By YU Lok Hin Nicolas (GRMD/4)